TWS 4th Mini Album 'play hard' - EP

With 2025’s <i>play hard</i>, TWS members Shinyu, Dohoon, Youngjae, Hanjin, Jihoon, and Kyungmin have begun to age into young adulthood, and they add some attitude to their bright, energetic musical formula, self-described as “boyhood pop.” On the hip-hop tracks “Head Shoulders Knees Toes” and “HOT BLUE SHOES,” the K-pop group trades soaring vocals for more restrained, chanted deliveries but keeps the group’s signature optimism.

Overwhelming feelings of love and attraction distract from TWS’s focus, though not necessarily in an unwelcome way. “You’re makin’ my heart 쿵쿵,” the members sing on “OVERDRIVE,” cleverly blending English phrasing with Korean onomatopoeia as they bound along on retro electric guitar riffs. On the ambling acoustic song “Caffeine Rush” and house-inspired pop track “overthinking,” a crush has the power to make the rest of reality feel gloriously hazy.